Page 10 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, February 2023

10 February 2023 News Thunderbolt
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DOD rescinds vaccination mandate
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
Public Affairs
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — On Jan. 10, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III rescinded the Aug. 24, 2021, memorandum mandating that members of the Armed Forces under Department of Defense authority be vaccinated against COVID-19, and the memoran- dum of Nov. 30, 2021, pertaining to the vaccination of National Guard and Re-
serve personnel. This rescission require- ment was established by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.
The health and readiness of the Force are crucial to the Department’s ability to defend our nation. Austin continues to encourage all service members, civil- ian employees, and contractor personnel to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 to ensure Total Force readi- ness.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Noah D. Coger
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cortney Haralson, F-35 Partner Intelligence Formal Train- ing Unit instructor, lectures on radar systems, Nov. 10, 2022, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The first of its kind, the F-35 PIFTU course is meant to expedite and improve intelligence training and collaboration between the U.S. and foreign partner nation intelligence organizations, specifically regarding F-35 Lightning II systems and capabilities.
PiFTU
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erations Support Flight wing intelligence chief], Tech. Sgt. John Hemmerich [56th OSS F-16 Intelligence Formal Training Unit instructor], and Staff Sgts. Cortney Haralson and Aubrey Smith [56th OSS intelligence analysts], this course would truly not exist,” said Diamond.
“They took all of this on as a secondary duty, working with the Advanced Programs Office, the 56th Communications Squadron, foreign partner nations and foreign disclo- sure officers at Luke AFB and elsewhere, to make it possible for us to secure and set up a facility, build a syllabus and academics, refine coursework, build training scenarios, teach students, and so much more, all while performing their primary responsibilities for the 56th and 944th Operations Groups.”
The first class saw five students from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway work together to graduate and forge last- ing relationships for future endeavors. The students noted how the course could increase effectiveness within their air forces by creating more intelligence personnel who can support F-35 operations, as well as the benefit of meeting their counterparts in partner militaries.
Early exposure to multinational collabora- tion in the intelligence community can lead to more robust and faster interoperability. The ability to rapidly share information between ally nations is critical in a dynamic warfare environment. Establishing a base- line for intelligence sharing is a step towards seamless future integration, which is exactly what the F-35 PIFTU team at Luke AFB is aiming to achieve.
Although the course was hosted at Luke AFB and led by U.S. Air Force instructors, each student was able to share their unique, country-specific training with everyone involved. Lomheim Nguyen has high hopes for the future of the course.
“I hope PIFTU continues to be made available for F-35 partner nations,” said Lomheim Nguyen. “And that F-35 intel- ligence training will be expanded to other interested F-35 nations worldwide, whether at Luke or elsewhere, to further provide this paramount training across the F-35 allied global consortium.”
SUiCiDE
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Eligible individuals, regardless of VA enrollment status, are:
• Veterans who were discharged or re- leased from active duty after more than 24 months of active service under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces, including reserve service members, who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation either directly or by operating an unmanned aerial vehicle from another loca- tion who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces who were the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment while serving in the armed forces.
Over the past year, VA has announced or continued several additional efforts to end Veteran suicide, including establishing 988 (then press 1) as a way for Veterans to quickly connect with caring, qualified crisis support 24/7; proposing a new rule that would reduce or eliminate copayments for Veterans at risk of suicide; conducting an ongoing public outreach effort on firearm suicide prevention and lethal means safety; and leveraging a national Veteran suicide prevention awareness campaign, “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.”
“When Joy [Lomheim Nguyen] first reached out about creating a shared training course, we were all about it,” said Hawkins. “Our team and leadership saw it as an amaz- ing opportunity to help the United States and our allies operate better together in the future.”
Hawkins was already a part of intelligence training for personnel supporting F-16 Fight- ing Falcons. Which meant, he understood the impact a course like this could have on partner nations and the overall benefits that come with it.
“For a fighter unit to operate effectively, it’s a lot more than just flying the planes,” said Hawkins. “One of the most important background elements is intelligence support. In a fight, if our allies have learned about enemy capabilities or weaknesses, we’d want to be able to share that knowledge with them, and vice versa.”
The course emphasizes and familiarizes intelligence personnel on radar, electronic warfare, infrared spectrum, low-observable principles, F-35 systems and capabilities, F-35 air-to-air missions, F-35 air-to-ground missions, and mission planning to F-35 considerations.
Before seeing the first class attend the course he helped bring to fruition, Hawkins received orders for a new assignment and had to pass the torch to a new instructor. He passed it into the capable hands of U.S. Air Force Maj. Daniel Diamond, 56th OSS wing intelligence chief, and a team of individuals who are equally passionate about seeing this course and its students succeed.
“If we’re going to fight together, and we’re flying the same planes, in the same air space, with the same objectives, then we need to be able to plan, coordinate, and debrief to- gether,” said Diamond. “That’s been a huge impetus to better develop our processes and collaboration.”
Pulling this off was no small feat, however. It was the drive and dedication of the small team of instructors as well as a much larger network of individuals at Luke AFB that made the F-35 PIFTU course come to life.
“Without Lt. Col. Jim Farrell [944th Op-
died by suicide in 2020 than in any year since 2006.
“Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the free, world-class emergency health care they deserve – no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they’re enrolled in VA care,” said VA Secretary for Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. “This expansion of care will save Veterans’ lives, and there’s nothing more important than that.”
VA has submitted an interim final rule to the federal register to establish this au- thority under section 201 of the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act of 2020. The final policy, which took effect on Jan. 17, will allow VA to:
• Provide, pay for, or reimburse for treat- ment of eligible individuals’ emergency sui- cide care, transportation costs, and follow-up care at a VA or non-VA facility for up to 30 days of inpatient care and 90 days of outpa- tient care.
• Make appropriate referrals for care fol- lowing the period of emergency suicide care. • Determine eligibility for other VA services
and benefits.
• Refer eligible individuals for appropri-
ate VA programs and benefits following the period of emergency suicide care.